For soccer fans in the United States, we’ve compiled all of the details about the World Cup TV schedule and World Cup TV coverage in one place. Plus we’ve answered several questions from you, the readers, so you have all of the information you need at your fingertips.

A: Since Russia is hosting the games and the country has a significant time zone difference with the United States, the kick-off times aren’t optimal for viewers in the States. Here’s the complete list of World Cup kickoff times. Most games will be at 8am ET, 11am ET and 2pm ET.

Q: How much World Cup coverage will each network have?

A: Telemundo will have 17 hours of 2018 World Cup coverage per day, which will total over 500 hours of World Cup-related programming across Telemundo and Universo as well as more than 1,000 hours of original content across Telemundo Deportes’ digital platforms.

Q: How many games will feature commentators from Telemundo and FOX Sports at the stadiums in Russia, and what is the lineup of commentators who will be there?

A: Telemundo has announced that they will have announcers in the stadiums for approximately 65% of the games, while the other 35% of games will feature commentators announcing games from the International Broadcast Center in Moscow. Telemundo’s lead commentator will be Andres Cantor who has worked at 10 World Cup tournaments in his stellar career.

For FOX Sports, 65% of FOX Sports’ commentators will be housed in Los Angeles calling the World Cup games off TV monitors. The others — John Strong/Stu Holden and JP Dellacamera/Tony Meola — will be calling games from the stadiums in Russia.

Q: How many World Cup tournaments has FOX Sports and Telemundo televised before?

A: It’s the first time ever that FOX Sports and Telemundo have televised a men’s World Cup tournament. FOX Sports televised the 2015 Women’s World Cup, while Telemundo’s parent company NBC Universal has hosted several Olympics.

A: Telemundo’s Jim Bell says, “I think our coverage is always different. I think it’s more authentic. We all believe it’s more fun. And having our announcers at the venues, depending on how far FOX cuts back, I think everyone believes that you just get a better call when you smell the grass and seeing it in three dimensions and calling it from the booth.”

“Our goal from the beginning has been to create the most authentic and consumer-engaging coverage of a World Cup that has ever been seen in the United States,” said Telemundo Deportes Executive Vice President Eli Velazquez. “We’re looking at how we can create the most engaging, in-depth and authentic coverage that will be relatable not just to diehard soccer fans but also to the casual fans.”

In addition, Telemundo Deportes announced its first ever daily special prime-time show exclusively dedicated to World Cup, live on Telemundo. Airing nightly at 7 p.m. ET on Telemundo, throughout the duration of the tournament, the show marks the first time ever a U.S. broadcaster of the World Cup produces a prime time show solely dedicated to the World Cup.

FOX Sports’ presentation of the global event features more soccer matches on broadcast television than the last four World Cups combined (English-language).

On a daily basis, FOX will keep viewers updated on all of the latest news, discussion and highlights with two shows. The first is World Cup Live. It’ll be hosted by Kate Abdo from 6am ET as it previews that day’s action. The matches will be hosted by Rob Stone. Then every evening, FOX will broadcast World Cup Tonight every afternoon from Russia with Fernando Fiore as the host of the daily highlights and discussion show.

Q: What are the expectations from the broadcasters regarding the number of viewers that will tune in to the World Cup games?

A: Telemundo Executive Producer Jim Bell says that “this World Cup will be the most consumed event in Spanish-language history given the proliferation of [mobile, computer and tablet] screens, social and digital and good ‘ol linear television.” No specific estimates were given in terms of numbers, but the expectations are high.

FOX Sports’ Executive Producer David Neal says that “We are not going to judge ourselves on the ratings and the numbers and it is really is an apples to oranges comparison. We will judge ourselves on the level of excellence we expect from ourselves and we won’t get distracted by numbers.”

Q: What impact will the United States not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup have on the coverage?

A: “It’s unfortunate that the United States didn’t make it in [to the World Cup],” said Telemundo Deportes President Ray Warren. “But we’re going to serve our fans because it’s the World Cup. We have no plans to do anything less because of [the US not qualifying].”

A: Telemundo is in more than 53 million homes in the United States. It reaches 94% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 17 owned stations and 55 broadcast affiliates. In addition, Telemundo also owns WKAQ, a local television station serving Puerto Rico.

Universo is available in more than 40 million households.

Q: What about reruns of World Cup games for soccer fans who miss the live games?

A: Universo will carry encore presentations of each day’s games beginning at 5 p.m. ET every day from Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 24. During the last week of the group stage, from Monday, June 25, through Thursday, June 28, encores will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET. For the round of 16 and through the Final, encore presentations will air each night beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

FOX Sports has released no details about re-runs, but games will be available on-demand via their FOX Sports Go and FOX Sports apps.

Q: Will Telemundo have an SAP option?

A: No, Telemundo will not have a SAP option. Telemundo has the exclusive Spanish-language rights so they’re not allowed to broadcast games in English-language even via SAP. Vice-versa, FOX Sports will not have a SAP option to feature Spanish-language commentary.

Q: How can I watch the World Cup in 4K HDR?

A: Hisense and FOX Sports have partnered to broadcast the games in 4K HDR. Read more here. Games will also be available via DIRECTV (read more about DIRECTV’s 4K coverage).

Telemundo will offer a special multi camera 4K feed available on a video-on-demand, next-day basis for every game through Comcast and xFinity.

Q: What are the plans to broadcast the World Cup games on radio?

A: As of press time, FOX Sports have released zero details on their radio plans. What we do know is that Fútbol de Primera will broadcast the games on Spanish-language radio (see radio schedule). Here are the alternatives to listen to the World Cup on radio in the United States for English-language soccer fans.

About The Author

Publisher of World Soccer Talk, Christopher Harris founded the site in 2005. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Guardian and several other publications. Plus he has made appearances on NPR, BBC World, CBC, BBC Five Live, talkSPORT and beIN SPORT.
Harris, who was born and raised in Wales, has lived in Florida since 1984, and supported Swansea City since 1979. Last but not least, he got engaged during half-time of a MLS game.

27 Comments

IvanDecember 1, 2017

Not many exciting games, to be honest…”I can’t wait for the tourney opener between Russia and Saudi Arabia.” Said NO ONE EVER!

32 teams is about 8 too many…yet they want to completely nullify the excitement of qualifiers and get the tournament to 100 teams or whatever shortsighted, money grabbing idea FIFA has now conjured…

Oh, well, it means I will get a lot more work done and can afford to skip a good portion of the group stage games on weekdays . That’s going to be a first for me, but, I mean, Panama v. Tunisia; Poland – Senegal; there are some truly awful matches early on that unless you have nothing better to do or your country isn’t playing, then-me-h.

What do you want? A world cup with just Brazil, Argentina, Germany & Spain to start with?
I bet the whole of Russia & Saudi Arabia can’t wait for the tourney opener. Plus a lot of other soccer fans round the world. Myself included.
It’s actually these sort of games that make the world cup what it is. The best sporting tournament in the world.

I wish I can spend a month overseas or even go to Canada and watch the World Cup in style instead of watching it on Fox Sports. Canada will use the world feed for commentary while it looks like Fox will be using it’s domestic crew from LA. Think about it people, JP Dellacamera calling a Germany or England game. Are you kidding me, No thanks. We miss you ESPN.

If Fox was smart it would use the world feed for commentary. Now that the US is not in the tournament it won’t matter. Will save them some money as well.
Another option for Fox would be to cover the tournament by embracing one of the nations and using analysts from that nation. It will make it more interesting and give the coverage some edge.

Expecting FOX Sports to deploy 3 Mexicans for all matches involving Mexico through the quarterfinal round.

Jorge Perez-Navarro (on loan from ESPN Deportes’ Miami bureau) will call play by play (Spanish naming convention. Perez is his surname.)

Mariano Trujillo (on loan from FOX Deportes) will be the analyst, both in the booth and in the studio.

Francisco X Rivera will be the touchline reporter.

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As for the other commentators, we know:

John Strong and Landon Donovan will be the #1 team at FOX Sports, as BOTH have contractual language guaranteeing them spots on the #1 team.

Now that Brad Friedel is no longer available (head coach of New England Revolution), the analyst role on the #2 team will be split between Stuart Holden and Aly Wagner, with Wagner almost a LOCK to call the 3rd place game due to her experience as a player at World Cup 3rd place matches (she did NOT mail it in, unlike Alexi Lalas who mailed in the 1995 Copa America 3rd place match.) JP DellaCamera will be the #2 play-by-play man.

Your guess is as good as mine how FOX will mix and match LA-based announcers for teams #4-6. We do know that only American accents will be considered by David Neal, so the pool of suspects narrow: Glenn Davis, Mark Followill, Mark Rogodino (pxp); Cobi Jones, Tony Meola, Brian Dunseth (analyst).

I’m sure Kate Abdo will get a lot of screen time, Fox loves their female hosts. I’m guessing she will come out of this World Cup as a superstar, and get a major broadcasting job for other sports in addition to soccer.

“FOX Sports will televise all of the games across its network of channels including FOX, FS1, FS2 and FOX Soccer Plus.”

You’re kidding – right?! FS2 and Fox Soccer Plus?! Channels that most providers don’t carry and you have to pay extra to get FSP if provider does carry it. This is the freakin World Cup and not the Super Bowl or some other one country tournament. I will watch most games on Telemundo but looks like I’ll miss a few that aren’t on Telemundo (shown on Universo)

This will be the 1st WC since 1982 that I won’t be able to watch all the games because Fox decided to put some games on an “off” channels and providers refuse to carry.

I know it’s about money, but FIFA should not have awarded Fox the WC unless all the games are available on channels that 99.99% who have cable and Sat can get and not on a specialty channel

At least when ESPN had it, it was on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. All providers carried those channels.